300 BRITISH SERPENTS. 



ing its slough the ground colour of the body is 

 creamy -white, and with the black diagonal markings 

 is then an extremely handsome reptile. 



" Adders are not uncommonly found in the Burnt 

 Woods near Eccleshill, the largest being about 2 

 feet in length. A friend of mine took 15 young 

 from a female adder a year or two ago." — John E. 

 B. Masefield, Eosehill, Cheadle, Staffordshire. 



"The ring snake is most common in hedgerows 

 and on cultivated or meadow land ; the adder is 

 confined to heaths, as at Chartley Park and Cannock 

 Chase. Both species have become rarer of late years ; 

 but the adder is still not uncommon on Cannock 

 Chase, thougli getting rare at Chartley, where it 

 once abounded. The decrease of its numbers here 

 is specially marked since the park was drained. 

 The ring snake varies from 2 to 3 feet in the 

 county, the adder averaging, as far as I can judge, 

 from 20 to 22 inches."— G. H. Storer, F.Z.S., Cardigan 

 Villa, Blackpool Street, Burton-on-Trent. 



Shropshire. 



" Eing Snake. — This is the most abundant of the 

 reptiles in Shropshire, and is found pretty generally 

 throughout the county. It is also the largest British 

 reptile, occasionally reaching a length of 5 feet; 

 such a size is, however, quite exceptional, and it 

 is more often found measuring between 30 and 

 36 inches. 



